Weekly planning articles

This quarter, as part of the Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning class, I was required to monitor the Spokesman-Review for stories related to planning and keep a log. I think the point was to get us in the habit of doing it. I was already doing it as part of my past endeavors, so I may have pointed out more than was necessary.

Having done that now for about 10 weeks, I'm going to start posting them here. I would post the older stories, but I don't have non-payment links for them. Hopefully, I can keep up so I can capture the links as they occur.

I don't intend to limit myself to the Spokesman. Clearly, the Pacific Northwest Inlander is also a good source for news about planning in the region (and, in fact, may be better as they tend to go more in depth). If you have links to share, please email them to me or post them in the comments.

• Mr. Out There
  Source: Inlander, 091203
  Summary: Newly sworn-in Spokane City Councilmember Jon Snyder talks to the Inlander and much of it is planning-related: complete streets, electric buses, economic development.
  Opinion: Planning may very well have a friend here. We'll have to see if his instincts can be translated into effective action in a legislative role. And, hey, Jon: electric buses are not cheaper than electric rail. They are, in the long run, more expensive because you need a driver for each one while rail cars chain.


• Rekindling Kendall
  Source: Inlander, 091203
  Summary: Greenstone Corporation will be taking over Kendall Yards, and will try to develop it as part of the West Central neighborhood. Construction should be underway in Summer 2010.
  Opinion: Greenstone is a very successful planning and development organization. If anyone can make this project get off the ground, it's them, provided they don't run into the same kinds of bizarre, politically-motivated hurdles they've encountered in other Washington cities (yes, I'm talking about you Medical Lake and Liberty Lake).


• Spokane, STA weigh downtown trolleys
  Source: Spokesman-Review, 091207.
  Summary: The City of Spokane and Spokane Transit Authority are performing a study of electric transit options between Mission and 14th, Perry and Latah Creek.
  Opinion: Rapid transit is an important element of a regional transportation system. Unfortunately, STA is an unreliable partner is any such effort, opting only to appear as though they're functional and spreading falsehoods because they know they can get away with it. Perhaps the new members of the Spokane City Council will call them out. (And if you're wondering why I said "they're functional" rather than "it's functional," it's because it is several members of the board and CEO who are the problem, not the drivers nor even a significant portion of the management.)


• U.N. says climate goals in reach
  Source: Spokesman-Review, 091207.
  Summary: Delegates from around the world are gathering in Copenhagen to discuss a UN treaty on global climate change. U.N. Environment Program Director Achim Steiner says that a deal at Copenhagen is not impossible.
  Opinion: Even if a deal is possible, it won't be ratified in the US Senate, so it will be meaningless.